Mailbag

Letters from our readers

June 29 I was glad to see the review of Escape from North Korea about the underground railroad. When we lived in Seoul in 2006 we heard that about 1,000 North Koreans made the long trek that year. It is amazing what people will do to be free. —Morris J. Reddout, Lakeland, Fla.

June 29 Proverbs says “a joyful heart is good medicine.” We need more laughter and your recommendations for humor books help. I’d also recommend the work of the late, unequaled Bennett Cerf, a great compiler and creator of good, clean jokes. —Bill Bader, Eden Prairie, Minn.

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June 29 I’d like to nominate Uncle Tom’s Cabin as The Great American Novel. The story is gripping and it helped change the sentiment of a nation against slavery. Perhaps it’s not so popular today because it’s so Christian. —David Henry, Dallas, Texas

June 29 What a nice philosophy for a young person today: “Being polite is better than being rich.” Thanks to Mallory Crandell, whose mother let Gloria MacKenzie cut in line and win the lottery, for her good attitude. —Christine Crowner, Saline, Mich.

Novelist Stephen King’s quote about how the world “suggests intelligent design” is a perfect example of Romans 1:19-21, where Paul wrote, “what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” It’s awesome how God has the answer for everything. —Janet Klepper, San Pedro, Calif.

June 29 As a retired hospice nurse, I am outraged about the woman in hospice who had her water taken away. That hospice could not have been a reputable organization. Our hospice was into “comfort care,” but we were guided by the desires of the patient and family. Reports like this make our job much harder. —Pat Meierhenry, Lincoln, Neb.

Peterson’s last two columns about society’s spiral away from godliness really spoke to me. I am beginning to realize that believers are not necessarily called to change society as much as we are called to be a light in a society that is headed toward destruction. —Duane Decker, Ellsworth, Maine

It bothers me that I can be so detached, so desensitized about descriptions of abortion that ought to be too horrifying even to read. But I have been reawakened. Thank you. —Karlene Gade, Chaska, Minn.

June 29 As a long-time subscriber, I think your anti-environmentalism bias does your readers a significant disservice. We rarely see environmental disasters in the U.S. now because of environmental laws that were passed after Rachel Carson wrote her seminal call to alarm. Protecting God’s good creation is a responsibility that every Christian bears. —David Jones, Casselberry, Fla.

June 29 People need to understand what a corrupt monetary system we have today: It does not allow people to plan ahead wisely with their assets, it is completely debt-based although Scripture warns against debt, and it channels wealth away from the poor through inflation. —Nate Alford, Clackamas, Ore.

June 29 Excellent column, but it was a bit anticlimactic for Joel Belz to conclude that he doesn’t “expect anything quite like that” from the IRS, after writing about the power of Daniel’s God. Let us all pray in faith, as James admonished, and expect God to work so that our nation may forsake our sins and experience God’s blessing. —James Bazen, Grand Rapids, Mich.

As an IRS retiree, I have been unimpressed with WORLD’s coverage depicting the IRS as so powerful and abusive. The vast majority of the people I worked with for 29 years are God-fearing Christians. Through the ministry of fellow believers and an organization called Christian Fundamental Internal Revenue Employees, in 2008 I was brought back into the fold of Christ’s own. —Gina R. Fisher, Wesley Chapel, N.C.

June 29 I was disappointed in the review of Man of Steel. Your reviewer disliked the style and plot, but there was a lot of good in the movie. It addressed tough moral questions, the joys and sorrows of father-son relationships, and included discussions of fate, choice, and the consequences of our actions. —Davy Mulder, Chetek, Wis.

June 29 It was refreshing to read a young musician’s thoughts on worship. I and other ministers of music frequently deal with the self-centeredness of worshippers who prioritize style over substance. May God raise up more like Alex McDonald. —Andy Fowler, Bremen, Ga.

June 15 This is my favorite Seu Peterson column ever. Sometimes I think that I, as a psychologist, am going crazy and need a shrink, but she reminded me that no, I’m just trying to stay sane in an insane culture. —Jeff Danco, Bridgewater, N.J.

This column is so very sad. We have turned our back on God and are getting what we deserve. —Parker Benson, Winder, Ga.

June 15 Joel Belz asked the frightening question: What if millions of voters “don’t care about truth telling”? I’m afraid that our cultural elite has come to celebrate those who can lie and get away with it. As Christians we believe that true freedom is found only in the truth, but for many folks, freedom is just not getting caught. —Claire Kimmel, Banner Elk, N.C.

What is going on in our country is scary. God help us all. —Marty Smith, Hesperia, Calif.

June 1 I think gay marriage marks the end stage of the society that embraces it. It exchanges God’s creation of male and female for a lie, and it has never worked well to defy the living God. —Beth Turner, Isleton, Calif.

June 1 I was at the University of Texas in the late 1970s and recall standing in the crowds that would gather around Cliffe Knechtle, listening to him and wishing I had his facility of speech and breadth of knowledge. I tried to start conversations with folks who seemed interested, but I wasn’t very good at it. I am so glad that he is still out there, still engaging students. —Nancy Stewart, Houston, Texas

Over the last several years, I have noticed a maturing of your magazine. Increasingly I find in it sound wisdom, often expressed with the mixture of truth and kindness expected of those who humbly follow Christ. Also, I am thrilled with your Saturday series on your website and hope these thoughtful essays will continue. —Jacqueline Miller, Savannah, Ga.